On Vagrancy - Latest Comments

Re: Packing ultra-light

S_J — Sun, 14 Jun 2015 19:52:32 -0000

Looks like a good plan

Re: A Fond Adieu Albania

Casey — Thu, 14 Aug 2014 14:55:29 -0000

Thanks Brian! Sounds like a great Central European tour. Enjoy these last few days :D

Re: A Fond Adieu Albania

Amy — Wed, 13 Aug 2014 12:23:58 -0000

Sounds like a bittersweet goodbye... Beautifully written.

Love,
Amy

Re: A Fond Adieu Albania

Brian Wilkins — Wed, 13 Aug 2014 12:22:01 -0000

Hi Casey,
Good to here from you and your past months in Albania.
I have 4 days cycling left before I head back to Oz, after 12 weeks of cycling.
I started in Milano, Torino, Arles ( bottom of France) Amsterdam, Prague, Vienna, Slovenia and return to Milano.
It was a great experience and met so many fellow cyclist.
Looking forward to your future travels.
Stay safe
Brian Wilkins

Re: A Temporary Defeat

Vina — Tue, 05 Aug 2014 12:11:20 -0000

That sounds awful!

Re: The Balkan Detour

Mickey Mangan — Thu, 24 Oct 2013 12:32:24 -0000

Dude. You're awesome.

Re: Netherlands

Lu Contatore — Sun, 29 Sep 2013 20:12:31 -0000

"Beginning is the hardest part of any adventure. Once you’ve flipped the mental switch and overcome that inertia, everything else falls into place."

Excelente, love your post!

Re: Spring in Austria

Adam — Tue, 02 Jul 2013 16:10:08 -0000

Has the flooding in Central Europe affected you at all or have you already passed by those sections?

Re: À la belle étoile

Casey — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 06:47:43 -0000

Hey Adi, thanks for visiting! Wohengemeinschaft rates as one of my all time favorite hostels. You're a great bunch.

Yup, I'm writing now from Passau. Chilling here a week to do some work and repair my raft which got a hole poked in it :-(

Re: North Sea to Black Sea – Week #(whose counting?)

Casey — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 06:32:52 -0000

Hey Shahmeer, nice of you to stop by!

Bikerafting is serious fun! You don't be disappointed.

So, I actually have the Explorer 42 which is longer than the Unrigged Explorer, the extra space is crucial.

Most bikerafters do indeed use the Llama because they have less equipment and are often on backcountry rivers with lots of white water. You could call that the backcountry adventure style. I on the other hand decided to do more long-distance expedition touring. This is a fancy way of saying I carry more crap ;-) But really, the longer waterline handles better in the water and is a mite faster. Things that are nice when you're slogging out 8+hour days on choppy shipping river or sea coast. Plus, I could stash some gear and paddle with a friend if I wanted.

If you have a bike + 4 full panniers I don't think you'll be able to fit in a Llama, with just 2 panniers, maybe. In my Explorer 42 it's a tight fit (see this image http://i.imgur.com/jmwwq1L..... I've 4 panniers + handlebar bag + ortlieb dry sack for tent and coats + bag of food strapped on back. Mind you, I'm also weighted down with extra equipment for the freezing weather.

It's important that your feet and legs have enough room, if they're all scrunched up you'll be miserable after an hour or two. I learned this the hard way.

My LHT is the "deluxe" which means it has couplers, so I only uncouple the frame and fold it to strap it, no mucking with the wheels or racks. Getting a non couplered bike on would work, though you'd have to remove both wheels. As for strapping, I love these webbing straps http://i.imgur.com/SNtH1C3.jpg the metal teeth buckle make tightening fast and easy, and I've never once had it slip or loosen.

Finally, one tip: DON'T DRAG YOUR LOADED RAFT. I also learned this the hard way. I'm going to write an update about it, but basically I dragged my loaded raft 5 feet during a portage due to weariness and a lapse of judgement. All that weight on the front floor pushed the bottom down and it got snagged on a sharp rock and tore a big hole. Patching such a large hole was a PITA.

Let me know if you have anymore questions. Keep in touch!

Re: North Sea to Black Sea – Week #(whose counting?)

Shahmeer — Sun, 31 Mar 2013 19:57:37 -0000

Hey Casey. I found your blog on a "bikerafting" googling frenzy. Awesome adventure, man. I'm currently on tour in Central America and thinking about buying a packraft as well. The Denali Llama struck me as the right option, but I see you have the Unrigged Explorer. How is the size is working for you? What's the best way you've found to disassemble/strap down the LHT? Any other tips for bikerafting? Best of luck from across the pond!

Re: À la belle étoile

A Grant — Sun, 31 Mar 2013 09:30:41 -0000

Hey Casey. Finally found the scrap of paper (a bag from the gift shop at the Kolner Dom) with your blog address on it. You've covered some ground since then - and I seem to have found you just a week into your downstream leg. Looking forward to following you through those next eight countries :)
good luck!
Adi (from the Wohengemeinschaft, Cologne, January)

Re: À la belle étoile

Linda Link — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 12:37:42 -0000

You amaze me Casey, love mom

Re: À la belle étoile

Brian Riddle — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 09:35:32 -0000

Wow!!! You've gone a long way. Can't wait to hear more as you get futher! Stay warm.

Re: North Sea to Black Sea – Week #1

Jeff — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 11:47:19 -0000

Super cool, Casey!

Re: North Sea to Black Sea – Week #1

lfranchi — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 11:44:36 -0000

Awesome, keep the posts coming! :)

Re: A Boy, his Bike, and his Boat

Casey — Sat, 26 Jan 2013 06:30:18 -0000

Super! Thanks for the advice Andras. Definitely going to hit the Delta, everyone has told me that it's amazing.

Re: A Boy, his Bike, and his Boat

Casey — Sat, 26 Jan 2013 06:28:11 -0000

Thanks Madlen :) My gosh it's so cold here in Köln! Snow and everything. Winter is totally here.

Re: A Boy, his Bike, and his Boat

Madlen — Sat, 05 Jan 2013 13:29:47 -0000

your "bikeraft" indeed looks super cool, much better than the last time when I saw it in Leipzig ;) Warm hugs (winter is coming to Germany! - slowly) ;)

Re: A Boy, his Bike, and his Boat

Andras — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 16:57:12 -0000

PS: Go though the Delta, not through the Danube-Black Sea channel or you will miss one of the most interesting parts.

Re: A Boy, his Bike, and his Boat

Andras — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 16:56:21 -0000

Good luck! Some words about the Danube part:

- in winter you might expect ice on it, especially around end of January-February. Although it should be navigable most of the time, be prepared for the ice.

- Serbia is not part of the European Union, so you need to go through a border post (don't know how this is handled on water)

- same problem at the Serbian/Romanian part, I'm not sure how this is handled, but you probably can't go from one side to another

- Bulgaria and Romania is part fo the EU, but not part of the Schengen zone, so there is also border/passport check there. The rules should be more relaxed though.

- in south Romania snow-storms can happen, or if the weather warms up too much, flooding (from the Danube itself) is possible

- depending when you arrive at the Danube Delta, you might again expect ice and only one navigable channel. If you arrive already in spring, it will be beatuiful, just don't get lost in that maze. :) Officially you need to buy a pass to enter the delta.

Re: Framing the Story

vina — Sun, 30 Dec 2012 17:14:49 -0000

can't wait for the story : )

Re: Journey to the Middle of the World

Mr. Eriosso — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 02:39:58 -0000

I've been to that spot in Ecuador before. Some guy told me how they had moved the whole monument a few km down the road to make way for some other project. Glad to see you've become a techno nomad. Good on ya! Happy travels.

Re: Dead vs Living Stories

BB — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 12:26:10 -0000

You're my hero for doing this

Re: Cusco to Puerto Maldonado, 490km (bike) - Part 1

Casey — Mon, 17 Sep 2012 15:43:04 -0000

Hey Cass! Yup, that was likely her. This ride was great fun, one of my favorite on-road stretches in Peru. Bron was a true sport on her first tour too.

I'm really digging your mountain bike w/ suspension + trailer setup. I've often been bummed at my inability to do some sweet single-track cause of my rigid fork and wide profile due to the panniers.

I see your Peru tour is coming to an end. Where are you headed next?